Completion: Though many other meanings can be found for this remarkable statement by our Lord, redemption must at the very least be on His mind. His words about the cross at the Last Supper point to this. At minimum, these words testified of the full price of ransom His lifeblood would pay for our redemption.[1] His death meant the inauguration of the New Covenant (Heb. 9:16-26; Matt. 26:28), promising justification, regeneration, sanctification, and the glories to come.[2] Through His substitutionary death, Jesus proved Himself to be the God of salvation, the LORD who saves.[3] He truly completed our salvation. Jesus has won our right to become children of God and He sent the Spirit who has been poured out within our hearts.[4] Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Entrustment: Our Lord entrusted His soul to the Father as He drew His dying breath. This is the import of the words “He gave up His spirit” (v30). Jesus delivered His human spirit to the Father. As He faced death, He did what all believers must do in death: trust in God. Jesus believed the Father would raise Him as the Scripture said (Ps. 16:10). What He asserted so confidently before the cross, He was now acting upon. He in His humanity dove into the unseen reality of death, trusting wholly in God. With this act, the Son of God incarnate showed us how to live and how to die. We trust in God in life and we trust Him in death. Thus, we live in Christ and we die in Him (Rom. 14:8; 1 Thess. 5:10).

[1] This meaning of te-tel-es-tai (τετέλεσται) speaks of completion of the Father’s mission for His Son (John 4:34). Some argue that the Greek conveyed the completion of payment, much like today’s “paid in full” stamp.

[2] Cf. Luke 22:20; Jere. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-27; Isaiah 61:3, 7, 10.

[3] Cf. Isaiah 12:2; 25:9; Matt. 1:21; John 3:16-17; 4:42; 1 John 4:14.

[4] For our adoption, cf. John 1:12; 3:6-8; 20:17; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:4-6. For the Spirit, cf. Acts 2:38; Rom. 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30; 1 John 3:24; 4:2, 6, 13.